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The story behind… Sophie’s Coffee

With so many incredible local businesses on the Gold Coast, one begins to wonder: how did they all come to be? In our series, ‘The story behind…’, we chat with local founders and owners about how their business started, their biggest learnings and their tips for other self-starters.

This time, we caught up with Sophie Beth, the founder of Sophie’s Coffee – the cute coffee van that popped up on Kortum Drive just last week.

Where did the idea for your business come from? What was the lightbulb moment?

Opening a cafe has always been a dream for me, so when life brought me from the UK to Australia, I knew I didn’t want to put that dream on pause. If anything, moving somewhere new made me want to go for it even more. A van felt like the perfect place to start, something I could make completely my own and use to build my own little corner of the Gold Coast.

My boyfriend Max also has a past in coffee, and a family who owns coffee shops back home in the UK. He’s also my biggest supporter in everything I do, so he was the obvious partner in crime. We make a really great team, and together, our ideas built Sophie’s from the ground up in a pretty small space of time.

Where did you start?

Facebook marketplace! I actually almost bought another van, but it fell through at the last minute. In that moment, it felt like the end of the world and that nothing else would compare. But after a bit more looking, we came across another van. It was perfect, and ten times better than the one that didn’t work out. We bought it and began what felt like an endless search for somewhere to actually put it.

We knew we wanted a permanent spot, rather than constantly moving around, so we searched extensively across the Gold Coast, contacted businesses, looked at different sites and tried to navigate all the council requirements that come with operating a coffee van.

There were a lot of no’s before we got our yes in Burleigh.

What was the first big obstacle you faced, and how did you overcome it?

Finding a home for Sophie’s was definitely the first big one. We found locations we loved, got excited about them and then hit council restrictions or approval issues. After enough setbacks, I was genuinely starting to feel disheartened and wondering whether we were ever going to find the right place.

Then, almost out of nowhere, we were offered what felt like our dream spot in Burleigh Heads. It was one of those moments that reminded me that sometimes the thing that doesn’t work out is just making room for something better.

I like to think I can get past most challenges. I’ve faced plenty in life and I think I’ve turned out pretty well! I’m very much ‘everything has to be perfect’, whereas Max is my calm ‘chill, no it doesn’t, we got this’ voice.

Whenever I start stressing about the business, he has a way of reminding me to smile through it and enjoy what we’re actually building together.

What’s one thing you know now that you wish you’d known from day one?

That you don’t have to have absolutely everything perfect before you start.

I’m naturally someone who gets very excited about ideas and wants to do everything at once to perfection, but opening Sophie’s has taught me that you can start with something simple, listen to what your customers actually want and build from there.

Some of our best ideas have come after opening and seeing how people interact with the business and the space. We actually found ourselves with far more space than we originally anticipated, including this huge indoor area that’s perfect for workshops, events and bringing people together. It wasn’t part of the original plan at all, but now it’s becoming a huge part of what I see Sophie’s growing into. I love knowing that we can build towards that. It’s also been a nice reminder that sometimes everything ends up exactly where it’s meant to.

Tell us about the moment things started taking off, or when you realised you’d ‘made it’.

We’re still so new that I definitely wouldn’t say I’ve ‘made it’ yet! For me, it’s the little moments that have felt the biggest, seeing someone come back for the second or third time, having a customer bring a friend because they’ve told them about us, or receiving messages from people saying they love what we’re creating.

When you’ve spent so long planning something behind the scenes, it’s quite surreal when suddenly there are real people standing in front of you, drinking your coffee and choosing to come back. Those are the moments where I think, “Wow I’ve done it, this is actually becoming something.”

What does a working day in your life look like?

Early!

A typical day starts with opening the van at 5am, setting everything up and making coffees. Then, in between customers, I’m usually doing about ten other things at once: ordering stock, replying to messages, creating content, contacting local businesses, planning events, doing admin or coming up with another idea that I immediately decide we need to do.

Max is involved in pretty much every part of it too, from making coffees and helping run the day to day side to just bouncing ideas off each other and making them happen. Oh, and he’s also a Canva wizard – I say something I want designed and he’s made it, beautifully, in minutes.

What do you love about the Gold Coast community, especially as a business owner?

The support for local businesses here is incredible. There’s such a strong culture around coffee, fitness, wellness and community on the Gold Coast, particularly around Burleigh, and people seem to genuinely care about knowing and supporting the people behind the businesses they visit.

I’ve also been surprised by how open other small businesses are to collaborating. It doesn’t feel like everyone is competing with each other, I’ve made great friends with other small-business owners already.

So, where to next? What are you working towards?

I started with the dream of opening a café and thought the van would be fun. Now, we’ve ended up with this vision of a whole social community taking part in events and collaborations. We’re working on ideas like flower-arranging workshops, jewellery making, pottery painting, run clubs and fitness events.

We’re also working on stocking products from other local businesses: things like fresh flowers, jewellery and food so that as Sophie’s grows, we can bring other small businesses along with us. I want it to be somewhere you can meet people, try something new and feel part of a little community.

What is one thing you’d tell someone about to start a business on the Gold Coast?

Just start, and don’t let the first “no” convince you that the answer is no. If we’d stopped at the first location that didn’t work out, Sophie’s wouldn’t be sitting in the spot we have now. You can spend forever waiting until everything is perfect, but I’ve learned so much more from actually starting, making mistakes, talking to people and figuring things out as we go.

And reach out to people! Some of our most exciting opportunities so far have come from simply messaging another local business and saying, ‘I love what you do, should we do something together?’

There’s a really lovely community here, and I think if you’re genuinely excited about what you’re building, people feel that.

And finally, DON’T be afraid of being the youngest in the room. You can do amazing things no matter your age or level of experience. It’s all about taking that first scary step. Your ideas are important and deserve to be brought to life.

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Warm up with these Gold Coast saunas

The weather is warming up – you should be too. Whether you’re chasing muscle recovery, a place to meditate or just an hour off your phone, the Gold Coast’s sauna scene is the place to do it. Sweat it out in these Gold Coast saunas.

First, the science.

Sauna, steam room – same thing, right? Not exactly. A sauna offers dry heat, generated by hot rocks or a wood-fired stove, and it runs properly hot, often between 70 and 90-plus degrees. A steam room works the opposite way: cooler, but soaked through, with humidity sitting at 100 per cent.

That distinction is important. Saunas tend to be better for muscle recovery, circulation and building heat tolerance, while steam rooms come into their own for skin hydration and respiratory relief (if you’re congested or chesty, that’s the room for you).

Both work on the same basic principle, though: hormesis, or a small, controlled dose of stress that prompts your body to adapt and repair itself. It’s the same idea behind a hard training session or an ice bath, just applied in the opposite direction.

Regular heat exposure has been linked to better cardiovascular health, reduced inflammation and proper relaxation – not the ‘rest’ you say you’re getting when you’re scrolling on your phone. You don’t even need to follow it with a plunge into cold water either, though plenty of the spots below will happily offer you one. Heat does plenty of work on its own.

With that cleared up, strip down and get sweaty in one of these Gold Coast saunas.

Sol Elements, Tamborine Mountain

Sol Elements holds the title of Australia’s first “floating” elemental bathhouse, built atop a lake at Tamborine Mountain Glades and ringed by subtropical rainforest on all sides. You’ll find three outdoor communal magnesium thermal pools heated to 38 degrees, two cold plunges at 12 degrees, a cedar stone sauna looking straight out over the lake, a steam room and a Himalayan salt cave. It’s a device-free space, and while it’s less than an hour from the coast, it’s a “worth the drive” destination.

www.solelements.com.au

Native State, Coolangatta

Perched right on Kirra Beach, Native State is home to a heated vitality pool, an icy plunge, infrared and traditional cedar saunas, and a large stone steam room. For a full-body experience, book a class in their workout studio. The real standout, though, is the meditation lounge – its curved recliners are built for powering down, not just perching between sessions.

www.nativestate.com.au

Vikasati, Southport

Vikasati leans into an open-air, social atmosphere, with a contrast therapy focus geared towards recovery for Gold Coast athletes. Their Finnish rock sauna runs between 70 and 90 degrees, and the space is generous enough that you’re never fighting for room to stretch out (a proper plus for seasoned sauna-goers). It’s dry heat that properly penetrates, rather than just sitting on the skin.

www.vikasati.com.au

Greenhouse The Bathhouse, Tallebudgera

In Greenhouse’s 90-minute rotating Soak Sessions, you’ll move between their steam room and traditional sauna, a mineral pool, warm magnesium pools and cold plunge, with a plant-based restaurant waiting for you on site for when you’re done. Book yourself a massage, stay on for lunch, and let the Tally Valley surrounds do the rest.

www.greenhousethebathhouse.com

The Bathhouse at Ground, Currumbin

Even just visiting Ground Currumbin – home to the eco village, farm-fresh café and a series of family-friendly community events – is a relaxing experience, so an hour in their bathhouse takes you to the next level. Set in a Queenslander under a majestic fig tree, the wood-fired and infrared saunas and a cedar hot tub just feel like an added bonus.

www.groundcurrumbin.com.au/bathhouse

LAN Bathhouse, Surfers Paradise

LAN Bathhouse is a proper sanctuary amongst the busyness of the Glitter Strip, tucked away atop the Paradise Centre (home to Timezone, the Surfers Paradise Beer Garden and TGI Fridays). In the cavernous bathhouse, you’ll find hot pools, a cold plunge and private group spas, plus a hot sauna and steam room for when you’re ready to properly slow down.

www.lanbathhouse.com.au

Soak Bathhouse, Mermaid Beach

One of the OG names in the Gold Coast’s bathhouse scene, Soak has been a favourite amongst Mermaid locals for years, and for good reason. Try their infrared sauna, or take your time cycling between the dry cedar sauna, steam room, outdoor mineral pools, cold plunge and hot spas.

www.soakbathhouse.com.au

Ready to chill out? Hit one of these ice baths next.

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Inside Coomera’s newest wellness destination, Merse Wellness

Merse Wellness Spa is Fitness Cartel’s most ambitious project yet, and their first standalone bathhouse destination. We caught up with the team ahead of its October opening in Coomera.

With an estimated cost of up to $3 million, the purpose-built 600-square-metre centre will have up to 700 members, create 10 new jobs and bring a new standard for wellness to the northern Gold Coast.

“For us, this isn’t just another location – it’s our first standalone Merse Wellness destination in Queensland,” says CEO Nathan James. “We can’t wait to open the doors.”

Read our chat with Nathan below…

The Gold Coast is wellness obsessed. Why do you think locals will be excited about Merse specifically?

The Gold Coast already does wellness brilliantly, but the conversation here has mostly been about fitness, gyms and group training – the daily training side of things. Recovery and relaxation, at a serious level, has been the missing piece, and so has the integration between movement and recovery.

Merse Coomera is built to bring those worlds together. We’ve put a dedicated Pilates studio under the same roof as the bathhouse, recovery and magnesium wellness experiences, so members can move and recover in the one space, on the one membership.

The other piece I think locals will love is what we’ve built underneath the experience. The water in our pools is constantly refreshed, every six to fifteen minutes, and we use 500 kilograms of magnesium to support recovery and relaxation. To our knowledge, there’s nothing else quite like it operating in Australia. Most other bathhouses run on essentially stagnant, heavily chlorinated water that doesn’t change over.

And the price point matters too. We’re building a genuinely premium experience but pricing memberships from only $39 a week for unlimited access during the pre-sale period. So, it’s something people can build into their week rather than save up for as an occasional treat.

There are a few bathhouses and other wellness destinations on the Gold Coast, but most are further south. Why was Coomera the perfect choice for your next location?

Coomera is one of the fastest-growing communities in Southeast Queensland, and when you look at the precinct around Westfield, it’s already a strong fitness and lifestyle pocket. What it didn’t have was a dedicated wellness, recovery and movement destination at a premium level – that gap is exactly what Merse Coomera is built to fill.

Location-wise, it’s about as accessible as it gets. We’re directly opposite Westfield Coomera, with a new road going straight from our site to the centre, so for locals it’s a few minutes from where they already shop, train and live. We didn’t want this to be somewhere people drove half an hour to visit once a month. We wanted it to be part of everyday life.

And the broader north-Gold-Coast catchment of Coomera, Upper Coomera and Pimpama has the demographic profile of people who are already investing in their health and looking for the next step beyond a standard gym or a one-off treatment. That’s our audience.

Other than the obvious wellness benefits, how will Merse support the northern Gold Coast community?

The most immediate is jobs: Merse Coomera will create around 10 new local roles when we’re fully operational, across hospitality, member experience, Pilates instruction and wellness expertise.

Beyond that, we see Merse as part of the local wellness ecosystem rather than competing with it. Our Pilates studio gives us a natural connection point with the broader movement community on the Gold Coast, and we want to work alongside local physios, allied health practitioners and trainers who have clients who would benefit hugely from recovery, and we have a space designed exactly for that.

What are the differences between Merse and a traditional day spa?

The big difference is the breadth of what’s on offer. A day spa is built around a single treatment experience. Merse Coomera puts a dedicated Pilates studio, the bathhouse, recovery zones, compression, red light therapy as well as relaxation spaces under one roof. You can come in and do a Pilates class, move into the hot and cold experience, and finish in the recovery lounge all on the same membership. That integration of movement and recovery is something day spas simply aren’t set up to deliver.

How did Merse Wellness come about? What inspired you to enter the world of wellness spas?

Several years ago, I went through one of the most challenging periods of my life and experienced severe anxiety. As someone who had spent decades in the fitness industry, it was something I had never truly understood until I experienced it myself.

During that time, I discovered hot and cold therapy. What started as an experiment quickly became part of my weekly routine. The combination of heat, cold and recovery gave me a genuine reset. It improved my mental clarity, reduced stress and helped me feel like myself again.

I still use hot and cold therapy two or three times a week today. It’s helped me improve my recovery, maintain lean muscle and perform at a higher level, both physically and mentally.

I have four kids, and my goal isn’t just to keep up with them, it’s to be the healthiest, strongest and most energetic dad I can be for decades to come.

That experience made me realise these powerful wellness tools shouldn’t be reserved for people who can afford expensive home setups or luxury retreats. That’s really where the idea for Merse came from: creating a world-class wellness experience that everyday people can access as part of their weekly routine.

Do you have any tips for readers who have never dipped their toe (pun intended) into a wellness spa, and want to get the most out of their experience?

My biggest tip is to not be intimidated by the cold plunge. That’s the part most first-timers worry about, but it’s also the part most people come back for. There’s a real sense of accomplishment in sitting in the cold water and then there’s the physical reaction, your body flushing itself with adrenaline and the feel-good chemicals that help improve circulation, muscle recovery, stress reduction and overall mental resilience.

For a first visit, I’d allow yourself somewhere between sixty and ninety minutes, enough time to move through the experience without rushing. Hydrate well before you arrive. A good rhythm is to start in the hot rock sauna or a hot magnesium bath for around ten to fifteen minutes, shower in the monsoon shower then move into the cold plunge for one to three minutes, and repeat that cycle two or three times. Finish with quiet time in a relaxation space, give your body a few minutes to settle.

If you can, pair the bathhouse with one of our Pilates sessions in the studio. A gentle Pilates class beforehand warms the body up and means you arrive at the hot and cold experience feeling open and mobile rather than tight. The recovery effect is noticeably better, and it gives you a complete movement-and-recovery loop in one visit.

The other thing I’d say is come back. The benefits compound. One visit will feel great. A few visits a month, paired with sleep and good nutrition, will change how you feel in your body. That’s why we built this as a membership rather than a one-off booking. The people who get the most out of it are the people who treat it as part of their week.

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Light bites: Where to eat along the Stage 3 light rail route

Well, Gold Coasters – we made it. After countless hours sitting in traffic, hundreds of back-road detours, endless debates in Facebook comment sections and more than a few promised launch dates, Stage 3 of the G:Link Light Rail project has finally opened. And suddenly, it all seems worth it.

For most of us, the inconvenience of the last four years feels like a small price to pay for a more connected city – one where you can beach hop (or bar hop) from suburb to suburb, without battling the Nobby’s parking situation or paying the price of an Uber into Burleigh.

But for others – like many of the business owners within the construction zone – the price of the light rail was more than just inconvenience. It was their livelihoods.

Now that the light rail is operating from Broadbeach South to Burleigh Heads, it’s time to show love to the businesses that felt its impacts the most. Read on for our guide to the best eats and drinks along the newly-opened Stage 3 Light Rail route, from breakfast through to dinner.

Broadbeach South Station

Breakfast: Paradox Coffee Roasters is worth the walk, serving up proper coffee and a menu that doesn’t cut corners. Just around the corner, Elk Espresso is a Broadbeach breakfast staple for a reason.

Lunch: Cora’s brunch menu happily stretches into lunch territory. For a browse-and-bite combo, Joe’s Deli at Pacific Fair pairs a filling feed with some retail therapy.

Dinner: Kōst Bar & Grill and Gemelli Italian both deliver a solid sit-down dinner, while Nineteen at The Star is the move for drinks with a view.

Paradox Coffee Roasters

Mermaid Beach Station

Breakfast: Bam Bam Bakehouse couldn’t be closer to the stop, with Little Mermaid a short stroll north and House of Halsa just south. After a post-surf coffee? Sunnyboy Espresso has it covered.

Lunch: Go classic with a surf club feed at Mermaid Beach Surf Club, or switch it up with a Mexican feast at Cantina.

Dinner: Bonita Bonita brings the fun, funky Mexican energy, while neighbouring Glenelg Public House is the more relaxed, casual option.

Bonita Bonita

Mermaid Beach South Station

Breakfast: Take your pick between Milkman’s Daughter or Chut and Co. – both are solid (and delicious) ways to start the day.

Lunch: J’s Brunchette is the standout here, but don’t sleep on See Yö Cafe & Bakery (they specialise in delicious, coeliac-safe breakfast and brunch). And keep an eye out – there’s a large development underway where Mermaid Beach Village (formerly home to Background Barista, Poke Poke and D’La Rosa) used to be.

Dinner: Etsu Izakaya is the obvious choice, sitting equal distance from Mermaid Beach and Mermaid Beach South stations. For something more special, Little Truffle holds a hat.

J’s Brunchette

Nobby Beach Station

Breakfast: BSKT and Buoy inside The Oxley 1823 are worth the visit, or head further north to The Holliday. Meanwhile, Sueño is built for a boozy brunch.

Lunch: With free-flowing margs and live DJs, Mexicali is always a good idea, while Yorkie Rippa suits a casual bite. Salty’s is the newest addition to the strip – swing by for lunch, or stay on once the sun starts to dip.

Dinner: Moustache and Bine are both made for a drink and a light bite, while Lars and Norte cater to something more special-occasion.

Buoy

Miami North Station

Breakfast: Red Horse Coffee Co., the new café attached to The Henchman, and Velvet Café & Lounge are both easy picks.

Lunch: Padre and SPEC both do drinks well, but it’s their genuinely good bar food that will keep you there all afternoon.

Dinner: The Henchman is a fun one, especially if you time your visit with their weekly trivia or raffle night. Miami Marketta never fails to deliver a good night out.

Padre Brewing Co.

Christine Avenue Station

Breakfast: While Palm Springs and Paddock Bakery suit a slower, sit-down start, the all-new Ace’s Coffee is worth the short walk north. On Christine Avenue itself, Pretty Handsome is the pick for a quick one on the go.

Lunch: Precinct Brewery is a solid shout, or head beachside to The Miami or North Burleigh Surf Club – Sandfire’s new brunch is worth checking out.

Dinner: Bar Monte is the destination, with drinks at Granddad Jack’s beforehand setting the tone. If you’re not feeling Italian, Tide Bar & Kitchen is another good option.

Bar Monte

Second Avenue Station

Breakfast: For a great café away from the hustle and bustle, Commune and Street Corner Espresso both do the job nicely. Meanwhile, the new Kostel Milk Bar has tongues wagging.

Lunch: Ask any Burleigh local and they’ll tell you: if you’re after a delicious lunch spot, Light Years is the place to go.

Dinner: Enjoy a family-style Italian feast at Crispy, then make the short stroll around the corner to Al Bacio Gelato to finish the night on a sweet note.

Light Years

Burleigh Heads Station

Breakfast: Depending on what you’re craving, Tarte (French pastries), Two Yolks (classic egg burgers) and Quest Coffee Roasters (your neighbourhood espresso bar) all make for a strong start.

Lunch: Haven at The Mondrian brings the polish, while Piada Co. and Justin Lane keep it a little more casual. Of course, it’s always a good day to grab a classic surf club feed at The Crab Pot (Burleigh Heads SLSC).

Dinner: Labart, Limlay Thai, Jimmy Wah’s, Apres Surf and Manny’s Wine & Fish round out a suburb that could keep you busy for a week of dinners on its own.

Haven

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The Star Residences: A new way of living on the rise

At 65 storeys tall, with roughly half of its 437 apartments settled so far, Tower 2 at The Star Residences is being turned into a functioning suburb in real time. Most Gold Coasters will never buy in, but its completion says something about where the rest of the market is headed – whether you’re renting in Southport or trying to buy your first place in Currumbin.

Right now, somewhere on Broadbeach Island, a moving truck is double-parked, a defect is being logged, and a strata manager’s morning plan has already changed twice before 9am.

Troy Fettes, Senior Strata and Asset Manager on the project, says nothing quite prepares you for a tower this size.

“Your plan could change within the first half hour of the day,” he says, juggling builders, defect lists and hundreds of new residents, all while making sure the lifts and building systems in a 65-storey tower actually work.

Day-to-day, Troy is dealing with a ‘real mixture’ of residents; owner-occupiers neighbouring short-term holiday letters, six-month tenants next to Airbnbs – all sharing the same lobby, gym and pools.

The buyer list is a decent snapshot of who’s choosing the Gold Coast right now: Sydneysiders and Melbournites treating the coast as a long-term lifestyle investment; overseas owners buying lock-up-and-leave holiday bases; over-50s downsizing with resort perks; remote workers no longer tied to an office.

Then there’s the buyer who challenges the “luxury tower” narrative – a first-home owner in his early 20s, who bought off the plan four or five years ago and just moved in (riding a fair amount of capital growth along the way).

It’s a reminder that a tower like this isn’t only selling to interstate money – the buyers who are easy to blame for the state of the local market. It’s also a sign of how far the goalposts have shifted for anyone trying to buy their first place here.

“A lot of people are priced out of the Gold Coast housing market,” Troy says. “These developments are more affordable in comparison, and also offer the flexibility to earn an income and build capital growth.”

It’s true – with an important asterisk. Vertical communities like The Star Residences aren’t necessarily a fix for the locals being priced out of a house. They’re a different product, usually chosen by a different kind of buyer.

What vertical communities signal for the Gold Coast

The Gold Coast has never been shy about building up – Surfers Paradise has had a skyline of towers since the 1970s. But most of that stock has been reserved for holidaymakers and investors, designed to turn over short-stay guests, not to hold a settled community.

What’s different about towers like this one is what’s being asked of them – to function as an actual neighbourhood, not just a well-located investment. And Troy says the community side is real, not just marketing.

“We’ve seen neighbours becoming friends and residents hosting get-togethers,” Troy says. “It’s more than just opening a building – we’re trying to build a community. Places like this are shaping the future of the Gold Coast.”

Vertical communities might not save the locals trying to buy their first home, but they tell us a lot about where the Gold Coast is headed – especially with three more towers approved for Broadbeach Island. What we do know is, for a long time yet, there will always be a moving truck double-parked, a defect waiting to be logged, and a new resident excited to call the Gold Coast home.

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